Contractual Obligations
by Rethira
Summary: Naesala's father was a fool, a fool who condemned his son to a life in servitude to a country he despises.


This was written for my charity fic thing on LiveJournal for the LiveJournal user hooves, formerly sacae.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any characters therein. I make no money from any fanfiction.

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When Naesala is very young, his father signs a stupid contract which enslaves him to Begnion. He doesn't believe it to begin with, but soon enough the people start dying and he realises that he really has given Kilvas to Begnion on a silver platter. He dies eventually, stressed and haggard, leaving his arrogant young son to take over. Naesala never quite loses his arrogance, but he tempers it, always aware that a single wrong move could leave him the king of a dead country. The brand burns its way onto his wrist so he keeps his wrist covered at all times, but he knows it's there and that's enough to keep him steady. It's enough to keep him from going on the warpath when Serenes burns, although he desperately wants to. As if it wasn't bad enough that Rafiel has been missing for months... and now this.

Naesala is one of the first to see Reyson when he flies unsteadily into Phoenicis. His clothes are ragged and dark with soot, much like his hair. His pristine wings are grey with ash and he looks so broken that Naesala wants to step forwards and cradle him like he did when they were younger and Naesala didn't bear the burden he does now. Instead it is Tibarn who greets Reyson, Tibarn who takes unconscious Lorazieh from Reyson's trembling arms, and Tibarn who coaxes Reyson into his new home. Naesala stands outside, alone except for the ever present Nealuchi. The old crow is mumbling about the tragedy and horror of it all, but Naesala doesn't listen to him. He stares out into the distance and he thinks about what ifs.

But the moment fades, and all he can do is order his men to be ever more indiscriminate in their pillaging. Reyson curses him when they next meet – _why didn't you help me?_ – and Tibarn makes vague threats, but it all amounts to nothing. Serenes still smokes and Begnion refuses to apologise. Phoenicis alone is too small and too vulnerable to take it on, so Tibarn orders his hawks to raid any and all Begnion ships that come near. Naesala waits, eager to offer his help despite the consequences, but Tibarn never asks. He turns to Gallia and Goldoa instead, but the old lizard is just as unmovable as the mountains that surround his land and Caineghis is desperately trying to forge a good relationship with Crimea. Tibarn simply rages quietly, Reyson beside him, while Begnion forgets and Naesala grows bitter.

Begnion makes a few demands here and there; spying, catching laguz, becoming mercenaries, that sort of thing. Naesala would spit on their demands, but it wouldn't be worth it. The punishment for not complying was made abundantly clear to Naesala's father and Naesala is intelligent enough not to test Begnion's patience more than necessary. They don't demand he stop pillaging, so Naesala lets his men run riot. It is a small, petty revenge for what Begnion forces him to do, but it makes Naesala feel marginally better. He can never quite get over the expressions on the faces of the laguz he catches and sells. Creased in horror and disgust, they curse him. He's a traitor to his own kind, in their eyes. He might be betraying them, but Naesala really has no other choice. Either they spent their life in servitude, or Kilvas is wiped out.

Occasionally the senators come to visit him. Lekain of Gaddos and Oliver of Tanas are frequent visitors, although Naesala would rather never have to set his eyes on either of them. If he could, he would shove both of them over the nearest handy cliff-face, but they both enjoy taunting him with the existence of the contract. Until the cursed thing is torn to shreds, Naesala will still be bound by it. He complies with their often ridiculous demands. Eventually, twenty years after Serenes burned, they make a demand that sickens Naesala beyond belief. Oh, Tanas may have dressed it up in pretty words and said he'll pay an exorbitant amount, but the threat was there.

Naesala leads Reyson to Tanas and collects his fee – the money he doesn't want and the silent promise that his people will live... for now.

Later, Naesala takes every shiny golden coin and drops them, one by one, into the ocean. By the time he's done, Naesala doesn't feel any better. Instead, he feels like he's finally taught himself the lesson he should have learned long ago; ravens don't have friends. Kings under blood contracts don't have friends either, because the other party frequently likes making said kings hurt the people they love, _just to see what will happen. _Tibarn and the humans from Crimea, who are fighting to reclaim their homeland, save Reyson anyway, with no help from Naesala. They find sweet Leanne in Serenes, alive and well and together the two of them restore Serenes to how it was. Young Empress Sanaki starts throwing her weight around in court and Naesala goes back to Daein, offering his services.

The Crimean company wouldn't accept his aid anyway, and Naesala prefers to go without a broken nose for now. He's under no illusions on that matter. When Tibarn next sees him, he will attack Naesala. If Naesala is lucky, he will only have a broken nose to show for it. Of course, the plan to avoid Tibarn goes about as well as could be hoped; his retainers and _Reyson_ appear on a battlefield, aiding the young beorc General. Petrine orders Naesala to attack, but she is not Begnion and Reyson has suffered enough at Naesala's hands. No, Naesala will not hurt him again. Daein was getting insufferable anyway, Naesala tells himself as he and his men leave. But he knows that really, he is doing this so that Reyson will forgive him, even just a little.

Naesala saves Leanne for much the same reason. She can see more than Reyson can – she can see the guilt and the worry, although she doesn't know why – and she doesn't resent Naesala. She doesn't hold a grudge like Reyson does. The war ends not long after, Princess Elincia restored to her throne, and Naesala can go back to Kilvas and hope that Begnion will ignore him for now. It's a forlorn hope, but Naesala wants it to be true. He wants to go back to being that arrogant, cocky, know-it-all of a prince, with no worries to crease his brow. He wants to stop dancing when Begnion orders. He wants to be able to tell Reyson and Tibarn and Leanne exactly why he has done the things he's done. He wants them to understand.

But then the Laguz Alliance is formed and Begnion come knocking again. And Phoenicis burns so brightly and fiercely that Kilvas can see it, and the ravens fly up to watch, their faces painted with horror and fear. Tibarn will never forgive him for this. And Reyson... well, he doesn't need Naesala. He doesn't want the friendship of a traitorous crow. He has his brother and his sister and Tibarn. What use would he have for a murderer?

Naesala sees Tibarn as he flies into his ruined Phoenicis. He sees the fury and pain on Tibarn's face and Naesala wishes it didn't have to be this way. But it is. It is.

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Thanks for reading.

_Rethira_


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